Wall construction



Feb. 3, 1942. R. FELLOM WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 17, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Fay fie/A907 BY H a: ATTORNEYS Feb. 3, 1942.

R. FELLOM 2,271,584

WALL cousmucnou Filed April 17, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -J'. --1E QINVENTOR Pay Fe//am BY WW ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 3, 1942 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 2,271,584 WALL CONSTRUCTION Roy Fellom, San Francisco,Calif.

Application 6 Claims.

This invention relates to wall construction, and has for its principalobject the provision of improved means and construction for rapidlyforming walls, partitions, roofs, floors, ceilings, and the like, usingstandard structural steel for framework and pre-fabricated coveringmaterial for covering the frame-work and for being sup ported by thelatter. Another object is the provision of pre-fabricated slabs ofconcrete, or the like, provided with improved means for quickly securingthe slabs against structural steel members of standard form such as T,H, Z, channel, or angle iron or to plain strips of metal, and anotherobject is wall construction providing for the attachment of concreteslabs or tile to one side of a structural steel framework and wall boardor concrete slabs to the opposite side of such framework for forminghollow walls, or the like. Other objects and advantages will appear inthe specification and drawings annexed hereto.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a perspective view, partly in section andpartly broken away, showing one form of wall construction in accordancewith my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view showing one means for attachingmy improved concrete slabs to standard structural steel.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of two channels with my concreteslabs in place and means for securing wall board in place to form oneside of a wall.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing still further form of structuralsteel supporting a double wall of concrete slabs.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing roof constructionincorporating my invention.

. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken through acorner of a building showing another form of the invention.

Fig. 'I is a perspective view of one of the removable clamp elementsshown in Fig. 2.

In detail, referring to Fig. 1, the structural steel forming thestudding is of T-iron, with the outer surfaces of flanges I of the studsof each wall facing outwardly and the legs 2 projecting inwardly. Theslabs 3, forming the outer wall are preferably of rectangular shape, andare adapted to be disposed with their opposite margins overlying theadjacent flanges of adjacent studs. The slabs are placed in vertical andhorizontal rows with the adjacent edges of the pairs of adjacentvertically and horizontally disposed studs being coated with waterproof,rad- April 17, 1939, Serial Nolzsaziv hesive, plastic material 4 tosecure the slabs together.

Adjacent each of the aforesaid opposite margins, each slab is providedwith one or more hook-like elements, generally designated 5, in the formof a short strip of metal bent intermediate its ends at right angles toform right angle legs. One leg 6 of each of said elements extends intothe side of the slab against flanges I, perpendicularly relative to theplane of said slab, and which leg terminates at its end short of theopposite side of the slab. The other leg 1 is spaced outwardly of theslab and extends toward the flange adjacent thereto, thus forming one ofthe flanges I,

the hook-like portion of the element. Thus at each opposite margin ofeach slab that overlies said legs I and the side of the slab over whichsaid legs extend, are spaced apart to form a space opening outwardlytoward the flange adjacent thereto.

In order to secure the slabs against the studs, I provide a wedge membergenerally designated 8. Each of the members 8 is in the form of a stripof metal adapted to slide vertically into the space between the leg 1 ofelement 5 and slab 3, with part of the member 8 projecting outwardly andoverlying the adjacent flange I. To accomplish this result with theminimum strain on elements 5, each member 8 is in the form of a metalstrip bent at 9, intermediate its end portions, so as to offset the endportions, but to maintain said end portions in substantially parallelplanes. The spaces between legs 1 and the slab are about the thicknessof flanges I, and the members 8 are of a thickness about equal to thethickness of flanges I, hence, when the wedge members are in position,one end ID of each member is in frictional engagement between the leg Iand slab and the opposite end II overlies the rear side of flange Iadjacent said 1eg,with the bend 9 of the member extending across theedge of they flange that lies beneath said member. The wedge action isproduced by bending the upper corner I2 of end II out of the generalplane of said end and toward the plane in which end I0 is disposed.Hence, upon initially positioning the member 8 above the element 5 withthe end II engaging flange I, the upper margin of member 8 projects aslightly greater distance outwardly of the flange I and inner surface ofslab 3, than the lower edge of said member. As the member is forceddownwardly so that end I0 passes into the space between leg I and theslab, there is a tightening of the ends III, II against leg 'I andflange I, resulting in the memangle iron strips of each the bottoms I8of the channels, the woodenstrip her 8 tightly drawing the slab againstthe outer side of the stud.

To align the slabs relative to the studs and to prevent accidentalfalling of the members 9 from their positions holding the slab againstthe studs, I imbed pins or staples I3 in the slabs along each oppositemargin thereof positioned adjacent and below each of the members 8, whensaid latter members are in position. One of the ends of the pins I3projects outwardly of the inner surface of the slab carrying the same,and said pins are spaced opposite substantially the distance between theadjacent edges of the adjacent flanges of each pair of studs. Thus thepins substantially engage said flanges, aligning the slabs, vertically,on each pair of studs, and said pins will engage the lower edges of themembers 8 should the latter tend to drop freely from slab supportingposition clear of the elements I.

The leg 6 of each element 5 is preferably formed with a relatively largeopening I4 therein through which the concrete or material'of the slabwill run when the slab is being formed, and after the slab has hardened,the leg 6 of each element 5 will be securely locked in the slab againstremoval therefrom.

After the slabs are positioned against the-studding to form the wall,floor or ceiling, the inner sides may be coated with a conventional,plastic paint, which, upon hardening, will tend to prevent any possibleloosening of the wedge elements 8, and will also prevent passage ofmoisture through the concrete slabs.

Where desirable to finish the inner side of the wall formed by thestudding and slabs 3, I may bolt wooden strips iron, which stripsproject outwardly and inwardly of the T-iron. Wall board I6, or thelike, is then nailed to the strips I5 to form the inner side of thewall, or room walls, where the slabs 3 form the outside of the building.

In forming vertical Walls and partitions, in-

stead of using T-iron at the corners, I may use angle-iron instead. Theangle iron strip I6 at the corner, is positioned with the right angleflanges planar with the flanges I of the T-iron, and these flanges ofthe angle iron are engaged by the wedge elements 8 in the same manner asthe latter are used to connect the slabs to the T- iron.

In Fig. 13 the use of a pair of channels with a wooden strip I5 clampedby bolts "between the bottoms I8 of said channels, is shown in place ofthe T-iron and strip I5. One of the sides I9 of the channels is utilizedfor engagement by the ends I of the members 8 in the same manner asdescribed where T-iron is used, and obviously the channels may besubstituted by"- pairs of angle iron strips in which one of the sides ofsuch strips corresponds with the sides I9 of the channel strips, and theother sides of the respective pair corresponds with being securedbetween said other sides.

In Fig. 4, instead of T-iron, I show the use of I or H -iron, in whichthe flanges 20 at the ends of the connecting web 2| serve the functionof the flanges I of the T-iron. Thus the slabs 3 may be secured to theflanges 20 at opposite ends of web 2! to provide a double said slabs.

In Fig. 5, the rafters 22 are of T-iron construction with the flangesuppermost and the slabs 3' laidthereon with their undersides carryingthe hook elementsS. The adjacent edges of I onto the legs 2 of the T-wall made up of with one of the sides of said flanges;

the slabs, below the gable or ridge, in this instance are beveled at 23,to provide for better drainage at the joints, and to provide widersealing surfaces. At the ridge, the adjacent respectively positionedslabs at opposite sides of the apex are formed along the apex tointerlock, to prevent leakage, one of the slabs being formed with anextension 24 adapted to seat within a corresponding recess on the otherslab.

The rafters 22 are secured together at the ridge by a horizontal angleiron strip 25 bolted to the legs 2 of the T-iron by brackets 26.

Fig. 6 in many instances is the preferred form of clamping device, foruse in clamping the slabs in position. In this showing, the slabs 3'carry bolts 21 with their heads 28 imbedded in the slabs in about thepositions of the ends 1 of the hook elements shown in the other views.The threaded ends of the bolts project outwardly of the inner sides ofthe slabs, and straps 29 are apertured intermediate their ends forpassing said threaded ends. When the slabs are positioned againstflanges I of the T-iron or the flanges of the other forms of structuralsteel as described, the straps are slipped onto the bolts with one endof each strap engaging the inner side of the flange I adjacent theretoand the other end of the strap engages the inner side of the slab. Thestrap is preferably somewhat resilient, and bowed with its convex sideout, so that upon tightening nut 30 on each bolt, the strap will tightlyengage the flange I and will tightly draw the slab against the outerside of such flange.

In Fig. 6 the corner construction is shown, in which the corner anglestrip I6 is engaged by the straps 29.

The advantage of this form of the invention'is that the clamping strapsare secured to the slabs against removal therefrom, and cannot bedislodged.

The use of the terms wall and wall construction is not necessarily to berestricted to allel, spaced, structural steel frame members eachprovided with a flange extending longitudinally thereof and the saidflanges of the pair being spaced apart and co-planar with their freelongitudinal edges facing each other; a vertically positioned,substantially rectangular wall-forming slab positioned with two of itsopposite marginal portions on one side thereof in engagement wedgemembers movable relative to said slabs in direction longitudinally ofsaid flanges, securing said portions tightly against said flanges; andmeans on said-slabs extending over said wedge members and slidablyengaged by said wedge members supporting-said wedge members against saidflanges for said movement.

2. In a construction as defined in claim 1,

means securing said wedge members against movement transversely of saidflanges.

-3. Ina construction as defined in claim 1,- said wedge members beingreleasable from under said last mentioned means upon upward movement ofthe wedge members longitudinally of said flanges relative thereto, meanssecuring said wedgemembers against horizontal displacement relative tosaid flanges when said wedge members are under the aforesaid-lastmentioned means and'said last-mentioned means being free fromobstruction to passage of said wedge members upwardly from under thesame when said wedge members are moved upwardly relative thereto.

4. In wall construction; an elongated frame member having a flangeextending longitudinally thereof; a pre-formed slab having a rear facewith one of the margins of said rear face against one side of saidflange; an angle clip member adjacent said flange with one leg anchoredin the slab, and the other leg extending outwardly toward thelongitudinally extending free edge of said flange; wedge means slidablelongitudinally of said flange and clamped between the said outer leg ofsaid angle clip member and the rear face of said slab and in turnengaging the said flange of said frame member to anchor said slabthereto.

5. In wall construction; an elongated frame member having a flangeextending longitudinally thereof; a pre-formed rectangular slab having arear face with one margin of said rear face along one edge of the slabpositioned against one side of said flange; a clip member'adjacent saidmargin anchored in said slab and projecting from said rear face; saidclip member being formed with an extension in opposed spaced relation tosaid rear side and extending at right angles to said flange providing aspace between such extension and said rear face; wedge means slidablelongitudinally of said flange and clamped between said extension and therear face of said slab and in turn engaging the said flange of saidframe members to anchor said slab thereto.

6. In Wall construction; a pair of spaced, parallel, elongated framemembers in side by side relation and each having a flange extendinglongitudinally thereof on their adjacent sides; a pre-formed,rectangular slab having a rear face with two opposite margins of saidslab along two opposite edges thereof positioned against one side ofeach of said flanges; a plurality of clip members adjacent each of saidmargins anchored in said slab and projecting from said rear face; eachof said clip members being formed with an extension in opposed, spacedrelation to said rear side and extending substantially at right anglesto saidflanges providing a space between each extension and said rearface; separate wedge means for each of said clip members slidablelongitudinally of said flanges and clamped between each extension andthe rear face of said slab and in turn engaging the flange nearestthereto to anchor said slab thereto.

ROY FELLOM.

